Fire Emblem: Advent
by squish13
Summary: A dark power gathers, Falchion lost. Archanea's fall, the world left on the brink of ruin. The rise of the first Exalt.
1. Introduction

Archanea, a great continent of legend. Its greatest, telling of the conflict between humans and dragons. A conflict which lasted hundreds of years, only coming to an end with a man named Marth. Not a soul cannot recall the deeds of the great Hero King who slayed the Shadow Dragon Medeus.

One-thousand years have passed since that day.


	2. Prologue: Uprising

**A/N:**

**You have NOOO idea how excited I am to get this project underway :DDDD **

**Okay... maybe you do...**

**No one touches this subject, IT'S RIGHT THERE! Fine, I'll take it! I'll make a story about the first exalt! The BRIDGE between Archanea and Ylisse! Most of the characters are mine, but there are a few obvious exceptions. Also, I'll be keeping a track of all the characters on my tumblr, hyliansquish.**

**ANYWAY! I'm excited! Let's get this underway! Word Count (1074)**

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A sky completely clear, with the midday sun scorching the lands below. A vast desert stretched before two men as they made their way to a lone keep in the distance. Khadein, the city of magic, had been in a state of unrest over these past weeks. By this point, the rift had drawn the attention of neighboring countries as mages fled in their search for refuge.

One man, astride his chestnut steed, stared out to the approaching mage sanctuary. His silver armor glistened in the sunlight, his navy cape behind him, the seal of Archanea stitched across it. A small scar across his left cheek, and his messy cerulean hair sticking to his neck, the man's blue eyes narrowed as he took in the sight before him.

"Harold?"

The paladin looked down to his companion. A sage, garbed in a variety of blues to purples. The man's dark hair falling forward, covering his eyes.

"Yes, Rowan?" The paladin replied, raising an eyebrow as his companion spoke up.

The sage looked away as the paladin looked over his way. "Sh-should you really have brought that along?" He asked, with a brief glance over to the sword which laid at his companion's side.

Harold looked down to the blade, surprised his friend would ask such a thing. "You told me of the dark mage uprising in Khadein… Would you truly prefer I leave Falchion behind?"

"I'm worried for you, Harold." Rowan replied as they continued forth. "These so-called _mages_ are dangerous. Should you fall…"

"I won't fall so easily." The paladin commented with a deep chuckle. "We've fought aside each other for years. Do you doubt my abilities so?"

The sage nervously looked back over his shoulder as they approached their destination. "Do you feel like… we're being followed?"

"Followed? We're in the-" As the paladin looked back, he noticed a figure approaching from the distance. Wings. "…desert." He quickly reached down to his family's blade at his side, ready for possible conflict. As the figure approached, it became clear that there were now more following. "What are the dracoknights doing out of Macedon…?"

"Harold, behind!"

The paladin picked his friend up and spurred his horse forward, a blast of dark energy bursting just where they stood. The man, looked behind to see an army of mages filing out of the fortress behind. "These those _dark mages_ you'd been talking about?"

The sage was still shaken as he tightly held onto his friend's mount. "Y-yeah, but I'm just as clueless as you as to Macedon's involvement."

A loud screech sounded as a rider on his dragon landed before the two, his javelin finding a place in the ground just before Harold's mount. The horse reeled back, throwing its extra rider off to the sand below. The knight struggled to get his horse under control as another dracoknight rapidly approached. "Enough of this!" He shouted, diving to the ground just as an axe cut through his mount's neck.

The knight rushed over to his companion, picking the man off the ground and urging him to run. There was no way they could outrun the Macedonian forces, and Harold knew he couldn't keep up with his companion in this desert. "Rowan…" He started, a smile now stretched across his face. "Still got that old tome?"

The sage nodded, reaching inside his robes to pull out the ancient text. "Y-yeah."

The knight's eyes quickly darted to the ground.

"_Excalibur_!" Sand flew into the sky, darkening the sky, and masking the two men from their foes. Harold tried opening his eyes, finding it nearly impossible to keep them open for an extended period of time. He suddenly felt his hand being grabbed, Rowan pulling him along. "This was _your_ idea," the sage tried reminding the man.

The knight struggled in keeping pace with his companion as they tried to navigate their way through this screen. "It was better than waiting for those dracoknights or _dark mages_."

The men turned back as they heard explosions of various spells behind them. "I can't argue there."

The two continued on their path, seeming to have lost the opposing forces. Just in time, as the sand had started to settle at this point. The great cloud still stood behind them. As the two slowed, they looked back, half-expecting a dracoknight to fly out and greet them with an axe to the head.

A figure showed, but it was certainly no dracoknight, nor did it appear to be one of the mages. It wore a plain indigo robe with no distinct features. None of the figure's garb stood out as anything flashy, dark boots and trousers, and a pair of black gloves. The person approached the watching pair slowly, a dark smile stretched across its face as it watched the two men from under the hood which concealed its features. "Well, look what we have here." The figure started, its voice that of an adult male. "Archanea's little _prince_, and his little _mage friend_." It added with a chuckle.

"Who are you?" Harold started, gripping Falchion as he anticipated the figure to attack.

"_Me?_" The man commented, his hand drawing up to his chest. "No one you should worry about. I must say though," he continued, "that was quite clever of you back there. Using that little spell book to put up a screen and escape without conflict."

The prince grit his teeth as he listened to the man speak, a forced grin stretched across his face. "Yeah," He said through his teeth. "And yet you still found us."

"Yes, well I can't let you leave with that blade, prince." The man said, gesturing to Falchion. "The blade your ancestor used to seal Medeus a thousand years ago."

The prince drew Falchion quickly, charging at the figure before him. "You will _not _take this blade from my family!"

The figure laughed, ducking past the prince as he swung the blade forth. "Oh, prince…" The man stated, rushing up to his opponent, crippling him with impossibly fast blows to the joints. The prince fell forward, landing with a harsh grunt. The figure laughed as he approached the prince, wearing a devilish smirk as he briefly glanced over to the paralyzed sage who could only stand and watch in terror. The figure looked down at his defeated opponent, revealing the deep red eyes hidden beneath his hood. "You have _no_ idea what I am capable of."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Okay, first off, I'm aware of the FE14 reveal. Seems like a new world, so I'm safe here. **

**Back to the story though. As it continues on, it's gonna be very Fire Emblemy, and by that, I mean it'll probably have a lot of the old cliche's. Ah well, makes it seem more like something that would be part of the series, eh?**

**Still, I'm excited! I'm surprised no one's touched on this! I'm VERY surprised! Is jumping up and down in excitement. Ahem. Yes... so... Kind of strange that I decide to post this now in the fandom, but the time was right for me. I'd spent a few months planning, and now I feel I have enough plot to go off to make this work.**

**Still, I hope you enjoyed this foreboding chapter. Consider leaving some reviews, follow, favorite, stuff. **

**This is your excited and sleep-deprived squish wishing you all a wonderful day! :D **


	3. Chapter 1: Wanted

**A/N:**

***Dances around singing* ~Main story time~**

**Right, so... not much I have to say at the beginning here. Most of my own comments on the chapter will be reserved til the end of it. But until then, sit back, enjoy, R&amp;R. Word Count (2131)**

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A young woman brushed her snowy hair over her shoulder as she knelt down to take off one of her knee-height, blue boots. Her features were delicate, nothing like that of her brother. She wore a silver tunic with blue designs laced across, the same shade which matched her trousers, and a short navy cape. She reached a hand into the troublesome piece of footwear from before, the dark fingerless-gloves she wore, with silver stitches to match the pattern on her tunic, ending just below her elbows. The woman bit her lip as she tried to find what had made its way into her boot, closing her sapphire eyes as she continued her search.

"Lady Iris." Another woman called, catching the attention of the white-haired lass from before. The woman wore the armor of a halberdier, the deep shades of green, matching her eyes. Her long raven hair held back by a single band, she watched the girl before her intently.

"Diana," Iris replied, turning her attention back to finding the object that had been irritating her foot.

The halberdier crossed her arms, frowning as she continued to watch the scene before her. "Are you finished yet, milady?"

"Just one moment…" The young noble said, holding her boot upside down and shaking it out. As she put the piece back on, and wiggled her toes around, the foreign object seemed to have been cleared out. "Perfect." She added, smiling as she glanced up to her guard.

"Yes, yes, Princess." Diana responded with a sigh. "Though I do have to wonder… have you _forgotten_ where we are?"

Iris looked around her at the houses which lined the streets. It was a rather large town, the guards were quite incompetent though, corrupt, and easily bought out. The princess never liked the idea of being sent here, of all places, to meet that hunter with news from the west. "No, Diana." The princess said, casting her gaze to the ground.

"I should hope not." She waved the princess forward, the two walking the streets towards a tavern one of their other companions had decided to visit. "It is my duty to protect you, milady." The halberdier started. "We haven't heard back from your brother in Khadein yet, and it's worrisome. For your mother's sake, please be cautious, Iris."

"I know, Diana." The princess said, looking up to her companion. "You needn't worry for me so."

The halberdier let out another sigh. Princess Iris really could be a piece of work sometimes. She was still too young and didn't understand that she wasn't invincible. They had arrived at the tavern. Diana drew a hand across her face before she opened the door. "I just hope Rufus hasn't…"

Right there, passed out at a far table, was their red cavalier. Iris looked up to her guard, a smirk stretched across her face. "Looks like he has again, huh?"

The halberdier stormed forth, her eyes narrowed, making her way to their wayward cavalier. "Rufus!" She yelled, drawing the attention of many of the other patrons. No reaction came from the red knight, except a few twitching fingers. "Dammit, Rufus, get up!" She called, lifting the man by his collar and shoving him against the wall.

The knight finally snapped to attention. As much as he could. The man looked at her through his half-opened blue eyes. The red knight had a crew cut, and a shabby little goatee, more like just a little chin fuzz, but he always insisted it was a real beard. "Wuzzit…" He said.

"_Dammit, Rufus. This is the third time this week. How do you expect to defend the princess if you're _drunk_?_" The halberdier lowered her tone this time around, hoping to draw less attention. Though, Iris was still sticking quite close and standing over her shoulder, enjoying the show.

"A'm jus enjoyin a drink." He tried to explain with that stupid grin on his face.

Diana shook her head before violently pulling the knight forth. "Oh, not anymore."

"Ay! Leggo!" The cavalier tried to argue, waving his hands around in a pathetic attempt to escape.

The halberdier dragged the man out of the tavern, throwing him to the ground once the group was outside. "Will you get your act together?"

"Aiee!"

The guard wheeled around to see the princess and a strange girl on the ground. "I am _so _sorry." The girl said, rubbing her head of messy dark brown hair. She wore black robes with golden embroidery, and a pair of matching gloves which covered three quarters of her arms. She opened her ruby eyes, looking down at the young swordswoman she just knocked over. "I-I really didn't mean…"

"You." The halberdier started, her eyes narrowing upon the young mage. "Do you know what you have just done?"

Iris rose from the ground, rubbing the back of her head. "Peace, Diana." The princess said, managing to calm her guard down. She looked back over to the mage before her, who was nervously looking back in the direction she came. "Hey, what's your name?"

The mage's eyes widened, her attention turning back to the company before her. "Celeste." She quickly answered. "N-Now, if you really don't mind, I gotta go…"

The young swordswoman looked at her guest, raising an eyebrow. "So soon?"

"Oy!"

The group looked back in the direction the voice had sounded. A group of thugs started to approach. Their leader was a burly man, who carried a large axe over his shoulder. His body crossed with scars, he sneered at the group.

"_Oh no_…" Celeste muttered.

Rufus shambled over, poking at the thug's chest. "An o'r you?"

"Name's Astor," the thug started, shoving the drunk back to the ground. "An _I _am the one's gonna take the reward fer that girlie there." He said, pointing to Celeste.

"Reward?" Iris repeated, looking over to the mage. "Are you some kind of criminal?"

"No! I'm not!" Celeste tried to explain, waving her hands in defense.

"I knew she was trouble, milady!"

"Diana, please…"

"I've 'ad enough a this!" The thug stated, drawing out his axe. "Boys!"

"Iris, get back!" The halberdier ordered as she ran over to pick Rufus off the ground and lead the group away. They continued running, navigating their ways through the alleys of the town. Eventually, they came to a halt. A dead end.

The mage looked around, biting her lip as she played with her collar. "What now?" She asked, looking towards the group that got her into this mess.

"Now," Iris started, unsheathing the rapier at her side. "We fight."

Diana nodded, setting the red knight against a wall. "She's right." She added, pulling out the lance strapped to her back. "We have nowhere else to turn. Certainly not our greatest escape attempt, this."

The princess looked over to their guest, the mage still seeming to be quite nervous around this group. "Can you fight?" She asked, her sapphire hues fixed upon the strange girl. Celeste pulled out a tome, its binding nothing like Iris had seen before. As long as it would help, she didn't care what was in that thing.

The thugs showed at the end of the alley. Some of them wielding axes, others with swords. Their leader stood back, casting a glare over to the group. As he raised his axe to the air, his men charged.

Iris shifted into a defensive stance, Diana just beside her with Celeste and Rufus at the rear. In such a narrow field as this, with the numbers of their opponents, the best offense would be a good defense. Hold their point.

A swordsman rushed toward Iris, bringing his blade around with a slash towards the princess' stomach. She jumped back, but the man kept up with his efforts, not allowing Iris any time to retaliate. Her gaze briefly flickered over to Diana, who was occupied with blocking strikes from a fighter's axe. Iris' own opponent took a misstep, allowing the princess an opening. She seized the opportunity presented, swiping with her own feet to knock the mercenary off balance, and end him with a swift blow to his heart with her rapier.

As the princess looked up to a man, charging her with his iron axe raised, an eruption of a strange black flame engulfed the man. He collapsed to the ground, his features seeming… drained, and a look of terror across his face. Iris had seen many things, but that type of magic was completely foreign to her. What was that?

Shaking these thoughts out of her head, the young swordswoman rushed forth to an axe-wielding thug Diana had been holding off, as the halberdier had found herself surrounded. The thug was slow to react to the princess' approach. His axe swung around in a wild attempt to defend himself. Instead, it only left him wide open as Iris charged, burying her weapon through his right breast. The man fell, as did another by Diana as her silver lance pierced a mercenary's torso.

Another spell burst, not far ahead of Iris, draining yet another man of his vitality. This magic terrified her. What _was_ it? The princess was very familiar with the different varieties of magic, especially with Rowan explaining it to her as a curious child. This, this didn't feel natural.

As the group held out, the body count rose. Eventually there was only one left. The man glared at the princess as she advanced. "Y've no idea wha that girl is, d'ya?"

"I don't need to know." Iris declared. "All I need to know is that _you_ led your men to their deaths just for some _reward_. You are a coward and don't deserve to continue this life."

"Tch. Ye got a lot te learn, kid." The thug spat, readying for a fight.

The princess rushed forth towards the thug, but he charged her as well. He raised his steel axe and swung forth with all his might. Iris rolled to the side as the powerful weapon fell, but just as she thought herself out of danger, the man jabbed at her stomach with his fist. The princess collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach as she tried to get her breath back. The man chuckled as he stood over the girl, her companions unable to help as they held back their drunken friend.

'_How are you able to do that?' A young girl asked her older brother as she stared at an obliterated training dummy._

'_Do what?' He asked, not really seeing what she was getting at._

'_The thing just shattered when you hit it!'_

_The young man scratched the back of his head as he thought of a way to explain this to the girl. 'Well, practice, for one. Just find your center, Iris, and nothing can stop you.' He added, ruffling the girl's snowy locks._

_Just find your center._

The princess opened her eyes, picking her rapier off the ground as she leapt away, the thug's axe digging itself in the ground just where she had been sitting. As she settled just a few yards away, the princess raised her rapier before her, and charged.

The man's eyes widened as Iris charged him, unable to react in time before the blade pierced his chest. He let out a pained gasp as he glared at the swordswoman before him. "Ye 'ave _no…_ idea…" His body fell limp as he breathed no more.

_No idea about what?_ The princess wondered.

"Arissss!" Rufus called out as he attempted to run for her, and trip and fall on his face.

Diana ignored him this time as she made her way over to the princess. "Milady, are you unharmed?"

Iris rubbed her stomach at her guard's question. "Maybe a few bruises, but I'm fine."

"I'm… sorry for causing you so much trouble." Celeste started as she approached the others. "I didn't mean to get any others involved and…"

"Leave." The halberdier demanded, stepping forward to shield the others.

The princess stepped forward, firmly grabbing her guard's shoulder to get her attention. "Diana, what is wrong with you? She helped us, she doesn't seem to have anywhere to go and…"

"Do you not see the signs, milady?" The older woman exclaimed, gesturing to the foreign mage. "The reward, the tome, those _spells_? That woman is a _dark_ mage!"

Iris reeled back as the words hit her. She looked over to Celeste, still not wanting to accept the words. "Is this true?"

The young woman cast her gaze to the ground, not wanting to meet either of the two's eyes. "Yes." She admitted. "But I left Khadein for a reason. I'm _not_ like the ones who decided to revolt."

The princess pushed past her guard, approaching the young mage before them. "I believe you."

* * *

**A/N:**

**What happens when you put a lord, a Jeigan-type character, a red knight, and a dark mage into a chapter together? Haha.**

**Anyway, I know the halberdier class is an exclusive to the Tellius games, but it's one of my favorite classes for some reason, because it's just so cool. So shh!**

**And as for there being a red knight but no green knight, don't worry, we'll see him soon.**

**Ah, but there you have it. There's Iris. Gotta admit, when I was designing her, I was really inspired by Deirdre (one of my favorites). So quiet up about the white hair thing. Just because she's of Marth's bloodline, doesn't mean they all have to have blue hair!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review, follow, favorite, if you enjoyed.**

**This is your still-hyper squish wishing you all a good day! :D**


	4. Chapter 2: Informant

**A/N:**

**Hoo! Sorry this took so long. I've been rather busy lately, trying to finish up stories and let's plays. Yeah, I'm just trying to clear the schedule... to make room for more stories and lps... Anywho! The chapter is out, we have two more recruits, let's get to this! Also, I've been playing through Radiant Dawn. I like it much more than its predecessor. Voice Acting is still bad though... Anywho, sit back, R&amp;R, and most importantly, enjoy! Word Count (2336)**

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The group had arrived at an inn quite some distance away from the little alley they had found themselves chased into previously. Diana had started carrying Rufus on her back after some time, as his legs stopped working not very long after their encounter. Iris, on the other hand, kept an eye on her guest. The mage absolutely fascinated her, but she would never answer any of the questions the young lord asked. Well, perhaps the streets weren't the best place to be asking, but Iris didn't really care so long as she could sate her curiosity.

The inn itself was rather small, but quite accommodating. A nice elderly couple seemed to be running it, residents of this town for quite a long time. A young man, clad in green armor which matched his close-trimmed hair, sat at a table by himself, drinking special brew the elders mixed up for him. His eyes lifted as he noticed the group enter, rising from his seat to reveal his tall, yet lanky build. He approached the group, eyeing the newcomer among them. "Ah, well, I see you've made a new friend." He commented.

"Ah… yes. This here is Celeste," Iris replied, "and before you ask, Algar, no we didn't meet the informant yet."

"And where exactly is she going to stay?" The cavalier asked. "I'm certain Diana has brought this up, but you're prone to…"

"Taking on more than she can handle." The guard finished, shifting as she readjusted the cavalier she was still carrying. "And nearly getting herself killed because of it." She added, casting a glare at the princess.

The girl closed her eyes as she took this heat from the two, a grimace stretched across her face. "Yeah, yeah. But the thugs are gone, and our dear Celeste over here is welcome to bunk with me and Diana tonight." She said, placing a hand upon the mages shoulder and shaking the girl roughly.

Diana finished handing Rufus off to his counterpart, jumping back as she heard Iris' suggestion. "Milady, there were only two small beds in the room, and you suggest this girl stay with us?"

"Well, we can't let her sleep on the floor…"

The mage freed herself from the princess's grasp, taking a few steps away from the girl to avoid another situation like that. "I really don't mind… I mean… I'm used to it." She said, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.

Iris' expression fell. This girl had fled from Khadein. How long had she been on the run? Probably lost, alone, and without help, for the fear the average person had about dark mages. "Diana?" She started, looking up to her guard.

The halberdier let out a sigh as she knew what that look was. "Yes, milady." She turned her attention back over to the mage. "You may take my bed. No worries for me though. Before you object, this is the princess' orders."

"So it's settled then." Iris stated, crossing her arms and giving a satisfied nod. "Celeste bunks with us tonight, and Algar…" She looked over to the knight who was trying to keep Rufus from sliding down. "Good luck tonight." She added before heading off to her room with the other women.

The knight's eyes widened as she left. "What? Iris!"

* * *

The night was quiet, but one dark mage tossed and turned in her bed. Eventually, it became too much to handle. Her eyes opened and she sat up, taking a look around the room. The older knight slept on the floor, close to the princess. A wool blanket pulled over top of her. She seemed to be having a nightmare of sorts, but the princess herself seemed rather quiet. Too quiet actually. The mage ignored this as she left her bed, and headed for the door, being careful as she could so as not to wake anyone.

As she made it to the hallway, she carefully closed the door, but could not escape the loud noise which it made. She looked back and forth through the hall. No one else was there, the men of the group were staying right next door. What a quirky bunch this group was.

Light shone in through a window at the end of the hall. Celeste made her way over to it, looking outside to observe the town. Guards drinking and laughing. She shook her head and let out a deep sigh.

"Trouble sleeping?"

The mage turned around to see the one who asked her to stay, the princess, Iris. "I suppose." She answered.

"I suppose." The princess repeated to herself, a small smile stretched across her face. "Tell me, Celeste. What's the problem?"

The brunette shook her head. "I-It's really nothing."

This time it was the princess' turn to sigh. She looked out the window her companion backed herself up against, watching as moths fluttered around outside. "People don't just get up in the middle of the night for nothing." She said. "Now either something's bothering you, or you have a bad habit of sneaking out like I do, and I seriously doubt it's the latter here."

The mage turned her head down. "You're a lot smarter than I gave credit for."

Iris watched the girl with an amused grin. "Yeah, I get that a lot. I guess I did learn from the best. …So I assume this is about your home, yes?"

Celeste let out another sigh, starting to play with her hands this time. "Y-Yeah. I mean… my friends… well, some of them decided to stay and… I just don't know if I should have left or…" The girl closed her eyes, tears starting to stream forth.

"Hey," Iris started, pulling the girl into a comforting embrace. "For all it's worth, I think you made the correct choice in leaving."

"But I…"

"Don't worry about that now, 'kay? It's in the past, and we're here now." She added, pulling away, and wiping away a few of the girl's tears. "Now let's head back. We still gotta look for that informant tomorrow, and besides… Diana might notice we're missing. Last thing I want is for her to gut you like those mercenaries today."

The mage's eyes went wide at that last comment. Like those mercenaries… Got it.

* * *

"So where is this informant, again?" Algar asked as the whole group made their way through town. "Are you _sure_ this is the correct town?"

Diana led the group, her silver lance fixed on her back as always, and her posture tense. The woman always seemed to expect the worst. Meanwhile, Rufus followed along, wearing an expression of pain as he fought back the headache he awoke with earlier that day. Celeste stayed quiet the whole day, but Iris, she just romped along with her arms stretched back behind her head. "Yes, I'm _sure_ this is the correct town." The princess stated, letting her arms fall back to her sides.

"Really…" The knight continued, reaching a hand up as he pressed the bridge of his nose. "And do we even know what this man looks like, or where exactly he is?"

"The note said he'd be at The Maid's Bastard." Diana spoke up. "Now, we could have gone there _yesterday_ if some cavalier didn't decide to wander into the first pub he could find and lose the rest of the group." She added, casting a glare back to the crimson-armored knight.

"'Ey, it wasn't my fault." The man tried to say, raising an arm in defense.

The other male knight shook his head as he watched his companion. "It's always your fault, Rufus."

"Hey!"

"Oh, boys." Iris called out, grabbing the attention of the two. "I'm not sure if you've noticed yet, but we're here already." She said, pointing up to a sign which hung above the entrance of the shady-looking little pub.

The two shut up, Algar straightening up and dusting himself off, and Rufus combing a hand back through his crimson hair. Diana rolled her eyes at the antics of the two. She was always like the mother of the group, hells, she was old enough to be Iris', and had been in service of the royal family since the girl was an infant. She looked over to the princess and the mage close by. "Now you two in particular, stay close." She warned. "And you…" She added, pointing to the green knight. "Keep Rufus away from the mead."

She opened the door, keeping Iris and the recent addition close to herself as they stepped forth. The inside of the pub was about as dirty as the outside. A couple of grisly looking men were passed out in the corners, whom no one seemed to care about. Piss and ale on the floor, and peeling paint covering the walls. An old barkeep stood at his station, briefly looking up at the new arrivals, barely raising his bushy brows before turning his attention back to a small group gathered at a far end. "Welcoming." Iris commented as she looked around. "See anyone that might look like our informant?"

"We only know as much as you do." Algar reminded her.

The young noble let out a sharp breath as she thought on about the information that went around the group before they left. "Right." She looked around a bit more, her eyes settling upon the gathering of men in the far corner, as they seemed to be quite focused upon one in the group. "How about over there?"

"I doubt our informant would draw attention to himself in such a manner." Diana stated before realizing the girl was headed off towards the group on her own. The guard let out a growl, chasing after the princess.

Iris reached the group of men, peering around them as she tried to look for what seemed to be drawing their attention. One man, sat at the far end, wearing a smug expression as he manipulated a group of three mugs. Iris knew this trick, and what this con-man was up to. Then again, these men were probably too drunk to notice. She observed the man more intently, taking note of his features. He had a messy mop of blond hair and a face of stubble. Certainly, this man never shaved regularly. A scar stretched from his right ear to his nose, and down across his lips to his chin. He wore the garb of a traditional hunter, mostly colored grey, and an iron bow which was propped up on the wall behind him.

"Ey! Give us ar money back!" One of the men shouted out, backing up and knocking Iris over, who was caught by a steaming Diana.

"Now, now, fellows." The hunter said, starting to back up. "No need to get all up in arms here. I did say there were no refunds."

"Hey boys," Another called out. "Here's our refund!" The man proceeded, swinging his fist towards the hunter, which was swiftly dodged.

The man backed up further and further from the patrons, unable to pick up his bow as they came. "Well it seems my business is unappreciated here." He added with a bit of a pout. "Hey, help a fella out?" He called, taking notice of the spectating group of knights.

"Why not?" Iris stated, readily rushing forth and striking a man from behind. All she ended up with was a sore hand, and a patron that looked more irritated than anything. "Eh-heh…"

Algar and Rufus already rushed in after Iris' jump into the fray. Well, Algar seemed more like he was at it to protect his comrades unlike Rufus who was just rushing in for the heck of it, _and probably snatch a drink while no one was looking_. Celeste backed away, not willing to use her magic during this whole fists-fight, and instead just backed up to the door. Diana immediately rushed to her princess' side, delivering a sharp blow to the man's windpipe, neutralizing that threat. She stared down at Iris as the others continued to fight. "Seems like someone needs to revisit their self-defense courses?"

"Hey, I can fight." The girl squeaked as she looked up at her guard.

"You know what I mean."

The fight carried on between the two parties, though even in number, well, not exactly seeing as how Celeste stayed away from the fight and Iris was barely being any help at all with how squishy she was, the party of knights was clearly superior. They easily managed to incapacitate the group of patrons, leaving the hunter to pick back up his belongings.

"Hey, thanks back there." He said, fixing his bow to his back.

"No… problem." The princess groaned, her guard helping to keep her upright.

The hunter grinned at the sight, starting to laugh as he let the group wonder what was going on.

"Excuse me, sir." The halberdier spoke up. "What exactly seems to be so humorous here?"

The man sniffed, catching himself before he could start again. "Ah, well, excuse me my good lady, but I have a very important message to deliver to Archanea's princess." He stated, casting a glance towards Iris.

The princess, however awkwardly, managed to find it in her strength to stay on her own feet this time. He wouldn't just tell this information to anyone, she hoped. "So you're that informant we've been looking for?"

"My name is Kaiser, my good lady. And I must say… I never expected a princess to enter a brawl like that." He added, starting to chuckle again. "Ah but I truly needed the help back there. Would have been quite unfortunate if she and her company arrived to a dead informant, yes?"

"Y-Yeah." Iris stated, not really knowing what to think of this man. The west though, she needed to remember that was the purpose of coming all the way out here. "A-Any news of the conflict in Khadein?"

The hunter's expression fell as he pulled a seat forth. Not for him, but the young Archanean princess.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yeah, I know some of you may have been excited for a big bar-fight scene, but I kinda wasn't feeling up to writing it. Personally, I feel it's better to leave something out than shoehorn it in with poor writing. I just wasn't feeling it, so yeah. It was kinda approaching my focus threshold anyway. That's why things longer than 3000 words for me tend to drop off in quality. ADD sucks, I'll tell ya. Ahem, so Algar and Kaiser. Yes, Kaiser's name is a blatant ripoff of Caesar, but I enjoy the Archanea games. Norne is still my favorite bow wielding unit of the bunch though. And exploring into Iris a bit more with her personality and stats. I've always kinda compared her to myrmidons, so yeah. But I'm not gonna add in a Navarre-type character just yet. We still have plenty more story to go. I'm just gonna roll on out of here now.**

**Anyway, thanks for the read. Leave a comment, follow, favorite, all that wonderful jazz.**

**This is your dear old Squishy, bidding you all a good day! :D**

**(I'm not old, seriously...)**


	5. Chapter 3: Place of Worship?

**A/N: **

**Wow... I haven't written in a LONG time. Well... I hope I'm not too rusty. And hey, if it wasn't for Fates, I don't know when I would have gotten back to writing this. But I am determined! Let the story commence! Anyway, sit back, R&amp;R, and most importantly, enjoy! Word Count (1842)**

* * *

The group marched ever onward on their path to the capital. Silence reigned, forcing an awkward rift between the princess and her subordinates. Kaiser never meant to bring such horrible news to the young woman, however, duty demanded it be done at all costs. The physical dangers were obvious, but the emotional weight could crush even the strongest of men.

"Lady Iris." Diane spoke up, managing to halt the group with the sudden interruption in their dreary march. The princess didn't speak, but acknowledged her guardian's presence. "We should prepare for the night. I know this road, and I know somewhere safe we can stay, sheltered from the elements. The skies are changing and I would hate for us to be caught in a storm."

The princess turned back to face the halberdier. Though she remained silent, one could feel the darkened aura emanating from within. She mumbled an answer, inaudible to even the best of hearing.

And hand found its way to the young one's shoulder, taking her by surprise. She reached to pull out her rapier, but was stopped as the other found its way to her belt and deftly undid the clasp, pulling it out of reach. She looked up to face her attacker, but it was none other than Kaiser, looking down with a concerned expression. "Look kid, she's right. Ya can't just retreat into a shell if things start headin' south." He looked up to the halberdier, who was merely observing, arms crossed. "So what's this place we're headed?"

While Iris grumbled, picking her belt off the ground, Diana directed everyone's attention to the East. "Up the road a few miles, we'll find a stone walkway. An old chapel. We used to stay there quite often when I was younger."

The hunter started to chuckle. "And here I had you pegged for a city gal. You're always so uptight, and that temper…"

Diana grunted, curling her hands into fists. She wouldn't hit the man. She knew that if she retaliated, that would only warrant and bring out more of his teasing. "Come on." She said, leading the group toward the path.

True to her word, the path appeared, and not far down, the old chapel stood out among the surrounding forest. Surprising how something so worn could withstand the test of time. Almost as if the gods of old had blessed this structure themselves.

Outside the building paced a young man, or was it a boy? He possessed a scruffy head of auburn hair and robes which seemed far too big for his short stature. He pounded frantically at the heavy door to his place of worship. "No, no, no!" The boy screeched.

Iris' expression picked up, her pace quickening as she hurried towards the one in need of her help. "Hey!" She called out.

The boy turned around, thankful to see some friendly-looking people for once. "Thank the gods you're-" His cherry eyes widened as he scanned Celeste hiding in the group. "What's she…?"

Diana blocked his view, towering above the boy. "You seem to have more important issues at the moment?"

The boy shook his head, trying to get his thoughts back on track. "Right! Bandits took the chapel. I-I don't know how many of us they have inside. Please, you have to save my teacher!"

Iris drew her rapier, pointing it towards the locked doors. "I've had a bad week… and oh I need something to take my sorrows out on!"

Diana growled. This girl was going to get herself killed if she kept rushing into battle. The tavern was one thing, but bandits? "Don't you dare charge those doors." The woman commanded. "They have hostages, and they could kill them if you just barged in. We need a plan…"

"Ooh! I know!" The boy shouted, waving his hand around in the air. "There's a door around back you guys could use!"

"Very well." Diana nodded. "Half of us can go around back. As for you, kid…"

"Hey, I'm not a _kid_, and the name's Abner, thank you so much for asking." The boy protested with a stomp of his foot. "I'm staying with you. I can heal." Just like that, he picked up a heal staff that had been propped against the stone wall. "I have been trained for most of my life, and it certainly seems like you could use a priest like me."

"Well would you look at our merry band of misfits." Iris interjected. "Alright, let's get kick some bandit butt and save those priests!"

Upon Diana's insistence, Algar, Rufus, and Kaiser headed round back. Upon his own insistence, so did young Abner. That left the three women of the group out front. Diana was rather wary of the situation, headed into a building that had probably been fortified with bandits of unknown numbers and no healer of her own. Not many vulneraries were left among their half after the previous days' battles, but they had to prevail.

Celeste started off by firing a dark spell against those heavy doors ahead of them. They shook from the impact, but still held up. Diana took her turn, jamming her silver lance between the doors, but still nothing. Celeste fired off one more spell, taking no mind that Diana was still in harm's way of the blast, but the doors shattered, filling the air with smoke. Iris took the moment to charge forth.

To her right, she spotted an easy target, a poor man taken off guard by the entry, not even having his iron axe in hand. "One."

Diana rushed to the princess' side, eyes scanning for the trapped priests. What she did see though was a determined mercenary, headed right towards the princess while her back was turned. "Iris, focus on the enemy!" She shouted, running towards the man in an attempt to intercept him.

What the royal guard couldn't account for though was being intercepted herself as something blurred by, inches from taking her head off. In the direction of the object was the form of a man, hiding behind a pillar. Though worried about the princess' safety, the older woman couldn't allow this man to threaten her group from afar. Besides, she could see a certain dark mage rushing in to support the reckless princess from afar.

"Two."

Still no priests in sight. At this point, a knot started to form in the stomach of the halberdier. Her training pushed her past this. She had gotten in close with that man throwing axes at her. A few even hit, though barely. Difficult as it was to see, the man had moved from cover at just the wrong time. Diana charged, burying her spear deep into his exposed chest. As he collapsed, she glanced back towards her princess, continuing that spree of destruction. "_Iris, be careful." _ She whispered to herself.

Iris didn't care how many wounds she had taken, she still had a vulnerary left, one she was saving for the thug in charge of this raid here. Out of the corner of her left eye, she could see a dark mist envelope the figure of some poor man carrying a sword. He dropped to his knees, and the girl took her chance to release him from this hell. "Three."

A glint caught the girl's attention before she turned away. A small key hung from a ring on his belt. Iris picked it up, hoping she could find these priests they locked away. Free them and all that rubbish. In the distance, she could see the group of men finishing their work with these bandits, but there was one more left in her sights. He looked easy enough, and she wanted to see how high this count could go.

Without help from the others, she rushed towards the man, rapier in hand, but oh, had she underestimated him. Her attacks grew more and more wild as her frustrations mounted. She left her guard wide open, allowing for a quick thrust into her abdomen. She drank her potion as quickly as she could, but knew it wasn't enough to completely stifle the bleeding, but… she was surrounded by a warm light, watching in awe as the wound closed up. She'd have to thank Abner for that later.

The man was distracted by Algar as he had closed the gap between them. Though she was still sore and worn out, Iris joined the attack anyway. That man couldn't hold out against this many opponents at once, and Iris was able to take her revenge. "Four."

She knew that wasn't the last of them though. No leader in sight. They were too organized to be without one. Her key though, odds were, the bandit leader held up with those missing priests. The group scanned around and found the locked door without much difficulty. Upon the opening of that freed door, the group found no moment of rest as the bandit leader tossed an axe right past the princess' shoulder.

Headband covering a long scar across his forehead, and a thick, black beard, the man quickly moved into the passageway, allowing no warrior access to the priests inside. "This woulda been the perfect heist, but you all had to go and ruin my day!"

Iris huffed, "You're not the only one who's been having a bad time lately. Ready to add to my count?"

The man bellowed in rage, determined to rid these pests from his presence. The first in his path, Princess Iris of Archanea. He swung his axe forth with all his might, the princess rolling out of the way just in time.

She was tired and slowed from the wound earlier, and her breathing showed it. There wasn't enough room in these tight corridors for her allies to assist, and so she was on her own for this one. One lunge forward, it merely grazed the man's shoulder, but he was able to follow up with no problem at all. This one much closer, backing the princess against a wall which she hit hard.

Iris clenched her teeth; she wouldn't allow this to end right here. She struck once, her blade managing to bury itself into the man's forearm. He screamed, swinging around to attack with his opposite arm. A blow the princess could not manage to escape this time. The pain caused the girl's vision to flash white. When she looked over what she managed to see was her left arm hanging limp at her side, the axe buried in the wall, but also deep into her shoulder.

The man was close enough now for Iris to bury her blade into his heart. "F-Five…" She whimpered out.

Diana managed to make her way up to the conflict, followed close behind by their newest friend and the other priests. "My Lady…"

"You know… Y-You're always… late." Iris painfully retorted.

Abner rushed up to the princess, taking a look at her wound. "Hey, you're going to be just fine. We'll get you patched up in no time."

"P-Please do…" Iris chuckled.

* * *

**A/N:**

**It's not a Squish story without the protag being in pain, and trust me, there's a lot more in store for our dear Iris. After all, most of you should be familiar with the vague-ass stories they tell of the first Exalt defeating a certain dragon.**

**Ah, but anyway, I hope I wasn't too rusty. And I went through a couple different designs for Abner here. At first he was gonna be a she, then he was gonna be a bit of an older guy, finally I settled with young and inexperienced. **

**And if any of you were wondering about Iris' count, heh, next chapter's gonna be a special one. Ah, you know what happens in certain games when certain requirements are met. I know it's kinda early in the story, but this one I feel would be good for early in the story, yeah.**

**Anywho, thanks for the read. Leave a review, favorite, follow. Any of the above is fine.**

**This is your lovely Squishy bidding you all a grand day!**


	6. Chapter 3x: Loyalty

**A/N:**

**Oh, would you look at that. A side chapter, or gaiden chapter as some people (including myself) call them. Hm... so what does this one entail? Welp, give it a read and find out! Like usual, sit back for some R&amp;R, and most importantly... ENJOY! Word Count (1271)**

* * *

A lone halberdier gazed up at the shining moon. The party was at rest, taking up residence in the chapel they saved earlier that day. Deep in thought was she, focused on these most troubling events which seemed to be following their party. She was soon snapped out of these reveries by the soft crunch of soil. Diana turned and saw none other than Kaiser, wearing his signature smirk of trouble.

"Y'know it's not safe for a lady to be alone at night." He spoke.

The halberdier merely scoffed at the comment, trying her best to ignore the would-be charmer.

"Look, I know you're worried about Iris. I mean, that girl is far from leader material in her current state…" He continued.

Such a comment started to shake the woman's adamant resolve.

"I know she's princess and all, and you'll probably tell me "hey, she's young", but sometimes I don't understand why you're so dedicated to the girl."

"I have my reasons." The woman curtly stated.

Kaiser crossed his arms, raising a brow in the process. "Those reasons being…?"

Diana let out a sigh, finally turning to face the man. "It's… a rather long story; and not one that I'm too fond of…"

"Oh?"

"I was just inducted to the Royal Guard-"

/

A young soldier stood guard as the ceremony carried on. A little girl had been born to the great queen and prince of this great realm. The country was elated with this news after having suffered through their harshest winter in ages. Celebrations were held all over the kingdom for their little princess. Though a guard could not celebrate with the rest, only carry on their own duties.

Thus, this young woman found herself falling asleep at her post. Oh, how professional. If her commander found her in this state, she would be lucky to walk out with even a duty in some small town watch. The woman was lucky. He didn't find her in such a state; however, one of her higher ups did indeed find her.

He stood there, hands behind his back as he observed. Hair, white as freshly fallen snow, cut short and kept tidy with a chinstrap beard to frame his noble features, caring, golden eyes drank in the sight before him now. "I knew guard duty was boring, but this?"

The familiar voice brought the woman to attention. As her eyes traveled up the golden threads, she knew exactly who had awoken her. "M-m-my lord! Your Highness, I-I…"

Instead of reprimand the young woman like she expected, the prince just laughed. "Please, no need to be so formal here." He stated, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Formalities are to be reserved for the court… and my wife. I swear, she takes her duties as scion to the Hero's blood too seriously." He sighed.

"Um…" The young soldier shuffled about nervously. When she was accepted to this position, she didn't realize how… informal her liege would be.

"Oh, but please, outside of _them_ it's just Adrien. And you're one of our recent additions, yes?"

"Yes!" The woman quickly replied. "I'm, I'm Diana, sir. I mean… Adrien, my, my lord!"

The prince chuckled once more. "Relax, it's a time of celebration, you realize."

Diana smiled.

_Several weeks passed, and I was starting to acclimate to my new position._

Young Diana continued on her patrol route. The days had grown quieter as people settled down from news of their princess' birth. Though, the markets had certainly seized the occasion. Speaking of the little one, the young guard's patrol took her right by the nursery. It was a tremendous honor. Though, that didn't mean Diana was able to see the infant or her or her older brother every day. No, but the queen and prince were regular sights, not that she could talk to them as that first encounter.

Everything seemed normal, until a small thought caught the young woman's attention that night. It was out of place. "Lady Aveline?" She called, receiving no response from within. "Maya?" Silence.

She moved to the door, trying to open it. Locked. Fear, for the infant princess. She rammed her body against this obstacle. Desperation, for her need to protect this life she was sworn to. She pounded against this door, all the while, shouting for someone, anyone to come and help. The idea soon shot into her head, _use your lance_, it screamed to her. So she did. Diana tried her damndest to reach the princess.

As the frame gave way, she parreled through, collapsing right over the intruder in the process. His face was much too difficult to focus on in this darkness, but it didn't matter. Fortunately, Diana recovered soon, grabbing her spear to keep the intruding man at bay. The fight for complete control raged on. The young guard stumbled back when the man kicked her back and gained an opportunity to draw a dagger from his belt.

Even with the breath knocked out of her, the soldier fought back. Yes, this man was quick, but knocking a footstool into his path gave Diana the chance to end this bout with a spear through his back. Pitiful.

She looked over to the crib. Thankfully, the child was unharmed, and still somehow sleeping. Amazing. Bells started to sound throughout the palace. This wasn't just a simple plot for the princess then. Then again, these political maneuvers never were.

Diana made sure to check the window once more. She closed it, making sure the thing was secure this time. She hurried back to the door, looking out to see if anyone in the vicinity was also in danger. Not far, she could hear the clash of metal, echoing down the halls. As much as she wanted to rush out and help, she couldn't abandon this child. Especially with the door broken. It was a worthwhile sacrifice.

It wasn't long until more unfriendly faces showed themselves, and she held them off. One by one they came, and she held that doorway. The battle was taking its toll and she couldn't hold out forever, but she had to. For the hero's bloodline. From Anri, to Marth, and Iris, the little infant in that room…

_Hyah!_

That voice…

"_Iris!"_

"Adrien!" Diana called out. "I can't do this alone!"

While her own battle carried on, she could hear the struggle just down that corridor, and the cries of a father, determined to rescue his infant daughter. Minutes felt like days, and when the two warriors finally came face to face, reality came crashing down. Adrenaline had kept the man going and before he could see his child's face one more time, he collapsed into the arms of a young woman sworn to his family.

"My lord…" The man's wounds were grave. It was a miracle he even made it this far. "M-My lord?"

"My… daughter…" He clutched the woman's collar. "Please t… tell me…"

"She's okay."

"G… Good." His grip loosened, and the prince allowed his arm to rest by his side. "P-please…" His breath shook. There wasn't much time left. "Protect… my daughter… My… Iris…"

\

"He died right in my arm."

Kaiser had gotten up from his little seat on the ground. "That's pretty heavy."

Diana's head nodded. "It was my first _real_ taste of battle. At the reality of this world."

The hunter had taken a few cautious steps forward. "Do you… ever regret this path?"

The woman looked up to the sky. "Sometimes." Her steely look returned to replace all before. "But if I had taken another path, who knows what royal family would be left?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**You know the direction I use slashes indicates a time skip. Either forward or back. Eh, just a little thing about how I format fanfics. So you'll know if you read my other stories (I have so many to work on... D: )**

**Like always, leave a review. Follow, favorite. All that fun stuff.**

**This is your lovely Squish wishing you all a splendid day! :D**

**6/9/16 Edit: (yeah, we're all so mature) I made a bit of a cultural mistake, seeing as how the husband of a ruling queen is called a prince in most cultures. You all probably wouldn't care, but I plan to turn this into a hack after I'm finished, so I give a bit of a damn about those details. I hope I caught every instance. I hate combing through stuff like that.**


	7. Chapter 4: Puppeteer

**A/N:**

**Ah, you didn't have to wait half a year for a new chapter this time! Haha. I'm still sorry about that. Anywho, Comcast internet sucks and is patchy as hell, so while I was waiting for the internet to come back, I thought I could do some writing! Yay! Also, I listened to the Awakening OST. I mean, I love Fates and all, but Awakening has the far superior soundtrack of the 3DS games. Anyway, back to main chapter stuff. This one is pretty good, I think. Keeps the plot moving, and hey, no more nameless bandits. It's usually around this time that the games switch things up, yeah? Also, we meet a new character. I won't tell you who yet! Just read to find out. I will tell you Iris already knows this character. So. Sit back for some R&amp;R. And most importantly, ENJOY! Word Count (1,882)**

* * *

"Home." Iris commented, as the palace she was born in, raised in, stood out over the city below.

Celeste had to catch her breath at the sight. "In all my years, I never thought I'd be this close to the Archanean capital."

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you, mage." Interjected Kaiser. "People here aren't too fond of people like _us._"

At that comment, the young woman stared downward. He was right. He was a thief, she practiced dark magic. Who could possibly accept her? She knew Iris would protect her, but what about when the princess wasn't around?

"Don't let that old fart get you down, Celeste." Iris burst in. "The knights and I are here for you."

Yes, the young mage got along quite well with the crimson and verdant knights, as… strange as they could be. Their newest addition was a bit of a different story though. He was loyal to his god and princess first and foremost. That included any of the princess' allies. "I suppose."

The hunter took a moment to process the earlier statement though. "If I'm _old_, then that woman is ancient!" He said, earning a scowl from Diana.

"My lady," the halberdier spoke up. "We still need to inform Queen Aveline of… _recent _events."

Well, with the way she said "recent", Iris knew she was talking about the whole cathedral incident, not just the news of her brother. "Right…"

* * *

Millenial Palace. It was a truly magnificent structure, having withstood the tests of time, the turmoil of many wars, serving as the Seat of Archanea since its founding. To think of how many kings and queens ruled here was awe-inspiring. At least in Iris' mind. A mind that was always set on her bloodline and stories instead of her own accomplishments which were few and far between, compared to her brother.

The meeting with the queen was not set in the throne room this time. No, it was late at night when the group arrived, and at their arrival, many pardons had to be made for the three unfamiliar with palace customs. Diana made sure to keep them close, as per the orders of their young princess.

They met in the halls, close by the library. Unusual, yes, but Iris always had a talent for finding others. Especially her mother.

The woman was at a desk, studying a piece of parchment as orbs of light hovered around her workspace. Usually held in a loose braid, the woman's locks of navy hair tumbled down her shoulders this evening. Sapphire eyes fixed on the document in front of her as delicate fingers adjusted the half-rim glasses which sat upon her petite nose. Those eyes looked up at the creak of a door, and thuds of footsteps before her. "Iris."

The princess wrung her hands as she faced her mother. The way she called her name was not an endearing one. More like a prelude to a long lecture. "Yes, mother?"

"Diana."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Iris watched as the guard led the group away. "I… thought you might want to know whom I met on my travels?"

The queen raised her hand, taking a moment to adjust her glasses once more, before retrieving another seat for her daughter. "While I would love to meet your companions, we have more pressing issues to discuss." There was that tone again. How Iris hated that tone. "Are you aware your guard sent a letter ahead of your arrival?"

"No, I… wasn't."

"Pity," the queen said, looking down at the parchment before her. "And here I thought you could handle such a simple task."

"Simple?" Iris burst out. "Mother, you have no idea how many setbacks we had on that mission-"

"Oh, I am _well_ aware of your setbacks, dear." Picking up the letter, Aveline handed it over to her daughter. "That woman has served this family well, and she included _everything_. Including… your little breakdowns."

"I…"

"Iris, you're sixteen years old. When will you learn to act your age?"

The girl's eyes closed. The only feature she shared with her mother. "Mother, I try."

"There is no _try_, dear. Do. You are Princess of Archanea, Scion to the Hero's Blood. You must set an _example_ for the people." The queen paused, taking a moment to gauge her daughter's reaction. "I won't be around forever, dear. Harold is a wonderful young man, but you can't rely on him for everything. And with the way events are unfolding…" She looked out the window, it was obvious there was more she was keeping from her youngest child.

"Mother?"

The queen gently placed a hand to her daughter's cheek. "My dear, sweet little Iris," Aveline pulled away once more. "I know you think I'm harsh on you, but I only want what's best for you." Sigh. "Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong. But enough of that."

Iris got up from her seat, "So…"

Aveline chuckled, so much sweeter than that stern tone she had taken with her daughter earlier. "You're dismissed. Tomorrow, I'd like to hear more about your companions."

"Thank you, mother." As Iris left, there was a grin reaching ear to ear. But she couldn't grow too complacent. She still had to keep her mother's words and act more her age. Something hard to do, when she always felt so overshadowed by her older brother.

* * *

"We have the prince, why don't we strike now?"

A robed figure sat upon a throne in an ebon room. "Patience."

"You've been waiting for this moment longer than I have, master, why?"

"The board is not yet set. To strike now would be to lose all we have left.

"They will come to us."

* * *

"Your mother certainly is… interesting." Celeste stated as the two walked the market streets of the capital city.

"Yes, that's certainly one way to describe her." Iris chuckled. "I would use _intense_, personally."

The comment elicited a giggle out of the dark mage. Something Iris thought she would never hear. "You know you have quite the cute laugh. Why don't you do it more often?"

"Oh, that…" Celeste quieted, turning her gaze off to the side. "I, um…" Her cheeks painted red, only made worse once the dual cavaliers approached the two ladies.

"My, my," started the verdant knight as he approached. "What could these two young women be doing out on the streets all alone?"

"Ain't it obvious, Algar?!" Called out his crimson companion, following close behind. "Women, market, shopping. Two and two 'ere!"

Algar sighed. Of course Rufus would ruin a moment. "Yes, I know."

Iris was caught up laughing at the whole situation, leaving her mage friend as red as Rufus' armor. "I could ask you the same question."

"Kaiser found something and wanted us to find you."

"And when did you start taking orders from Kaiser?" Iris posed. "I thought _I _was your commander?"

Algar adjusted a loose strap on his breastplate. "Yes, my lady, but something important has come up."

Iris noticed this, and thought of how out of place the armor was here. "Where?"

\

The area they headed through was cordoned off. Only city garrison and watch remained. Whatever happened, it wasn't pleasant.

"Iris, there you are!" Called out the hunter.

As their princess was noticed, all regular troops bowed calling out titles and everything else Iris didn't want to be caught up in.

"Okay, okay, get out of here you lot!" Kaiser demanded, earning apologies from many of the soldiers. "I hate regulars." He thought aloud.

"Kaiser, what's happened here?"

"Well…" The man reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck, glancing around at the company they held with them. "C'mon, Princess."

The scene he led them to was rather gruesome. Something much too horrifying for words. "What… happened here?" Iris gasped.

"No one has any idea." The hunter explained. Looking around once more, but finding no one else but the princess' ragtag group of knights. "It's definitely not a regular murder, we know that much."

"I know what it is." Celeste mentioned, drawing the attention of the others.

"Well?" Whatever this was, even as horrible as it was, Iris wanted to know what could _possibly_ cause something like it.

"It's… the kind of magic I practice."

"Dark magic." Algar commented.

Celeste flinched at that phrase. She never liked the sound of it, but it was something she practiced her entire life. "Look at those markings. That's not caused by anima spells. There was… someone _else_ here."

A chilling screech sounded from the city guards. "C'mon!" Iris shouted, running out ahead of the others. She was met with the sight of innocent guardsmen already dead, and others held captive by strange people garbed in dark robes.

"My, my, look what we have here." One of them, clearly the leader, spoke up. There wasn't much to distinguish him from the others but the golden pendant around his neck.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Iris demanded, looking around as the others laughed.

"Oh, how rude. You'll know who we are soon enough."

Iris drew her rapier, never one to leave it behind. One by one, all others did the same. "Tell me who you are, and…" As much as she wanted to rush into this, she had a promise to keep. The princess bit her lip. "We'll let you go free."

Her friends looked at each other, she was crazy. "Iris, if you let them go, they'll just keep murdering more innocents." Kaiser spoke up.

"He's right, you know." The man with the pendant said.

Iris tightened up. What was this man getting at? "Then… in the name of the Hero's Bloodline, I sentence thee to death." Well, that was certainly a phrase she never got to use.

All he did was laugh.

The princess rushed forward. This wasn't the style of combat she was used to. So much magic, but these men could not get away with these vile deeds. True, if it was just her and Diana, they would've stood no chance, but things had changed. They had Celeste, Kaiser, and Abner now, and Iris trusted each and every one of them.

But that man didn't seem human. The way he moved and flung spells. He was, for sure, for when Iris came face to face with the man, she saw what he truly was. Warped by the curses he wove. "I hope you had a good look, Princess. For it will be your last!" What he didn't expect was Iris' own movements. How much she had grown since she left on that simple little mission only a few weeks ago. Her sword pierced his left lung, but she could only look down at the man in sorrow for what he had become. "As long as there is darkness, in the hearts of men…" He slipped away, leaving Archanea's princess to ponder his final words.

"I think we should tell your mother about this." Kaiser said, bringing Iris out of her dark thoughts.

"Agreed."

* * *

"The party failed their mission, my lord!"

The dark one did not speak at first, but a satisfied grin kept itself locked on his features. "No, they haven't."

"But they're all dead, even-"

"He performed exactly as ordered."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Dun dun dun!**

**And yay, we meet Iris' mom! I know I choose some non-traditional names for this story, but a lot of FE games have older names. Yeah, Aveline's a bit of an old fashioned one, and no, it's not from the same root as Evelyn, even though they look similar. But I think it's kinda funny, when I first came up with these characters, Aveline was supposed to more resemble Elice while Iris resembled Shiida. Obviously I changed Avie's design though, heh. Also I'm still mad that Fates has a character named Harold (Arthur's JPN name) after I already named my own character that name! Er... sorry XD**

**And this fic is still T rated so use your imagination for that horror scene they found. And no, I'm not gonna go into full detail for the battles, cause even though I'm trying to keep this traditional FE and have a battle every chapter, writing them all out each time gets old. So I'll probably keep some of them briefer than others. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read. Leave a review, follow, favorite. Yada yada.**

**As always, this is your lovely Squish, wishing you all a wonderful day!**


	8. Chapter 5: Lockdown

**A/N:**

**Yeah, I'm trying not to wait too long when posting chapters for this. Heh. I've been looking into a few hacks to give me some ideas on where to head with this story. Hey, some of them are pretty good for inspiration. Also, you might meet a character in this chapter who sounds... familiar... Anyway, remember to sit back and relax here. Word Count (1,067)**

* * *

"I know you are concerned, Iris, but rushing out into the fray is the easiest way to get you killed." Aveline said, calmly adjusting the documents before her.

"Is it truly better to just sit around and wait for the danger to come here?"

The queen sighed, having no patience for her daughter's games. "Remind me to talk to Arwel about your education."

Iris clenched her fists, proceeding to pound one on her mother's desk. "No!" That woman didn't see what happened! "I'm not going to stay here while our people… while _Harold_ is in danger!"

"Iris…"

* * *

Diana walked up to the soldier guarding the door. "You are relieved of duty." She said, earning a sigh of relief and quick thank you from the young man.

As the woman walked into the room, she was met with the sight of a rather disgruntled princess, pacing about and mumbling some rather unbecoming things for one of her station. "I can't believe her, locking me away like this. How old does she think I am… four?"

"No, but sometimes you do act it." Diana said, acquiring the princess' attention.

_Pff_. "Please tell me you figured out the guard she assigned." The girl spoke, leaning close to the fireplace.

"Yes, well as you know, the queen forbade me from seeing you tonight; so you know the risks I'm taking by speaking to you."

The pause stretched between them as Iris watched the embers die out. "I know, and you didn't have to do this. I've gotten out on my own before."

Diana chuckled. This girl sure was something. But this was no time to be letting her guard down. The woman looked back, checking to make sure the coast was still clear. "True, but I won't let you off alone this time. I know what you're planning, my lady. Don't forget the ones who stand at your side."

Iris couldn't help the smile which formed on her face at that moment. "Get the others. We'll need them."

* * *

It had only been a few hours, but Iris felt like days had passed before her allies arrived back at her room. True, she had a habit of ruining her own plans, but everyone still trusted her for some reason. She just had this innate magnet quality about her. "Alright everyone," she started off. "It won't be easy getting out together. Doubtless reinforcements will be called if any of us are spotted by one of the patrols on this mission."

Algar snorted at her use of the word _mission_. Iris was quite fond of using it to describe their past assignments. She was quick to give him a cold glare, which was enough to bring the viridian knight back to his serious self. Fortunately for her, the rest of the group didn't act out as much during the rest of her little speech. "Now be quiet, and please, no killing. These are loyal members of the Palace Guard."

With one wave of her hand, she sent her companions forth. They ran down the halls, keeping as quiet as they could under the circumstances. Their heavier armor stored away outside the palace. After all, it wasn't exactly the best for going unnoticed.

The group came to a halt as the footsteps of a palace soldier sounded from down the hall. _Clink, clank, clink, clank._ Iris took the lead, hiding behind a pillar in hopes of getting close. As the man rounded the corner, the princess attempted to strike the man's head with the flat of her blade. It stunned him long enough for Kaiser to rush forward and deal a stronger blow to knock the poor soldier out.

Kaiser leaned down, collecting a key from the man's belt. It weighed on Iris' conscience, but they needed supplies if she was going to be out on her own. She led the hunter towards one of the weapons stocks. Hopefully no one would be behind this door.

"_**Alarm!"**_

Diana grabbed her lady's shoulders, pushing her towards the safety of the rear of the pack. As much as Iris hated the thought, they were much more capable than her in this situation. This is why she escaped alone in the past; to avoid conflict, and hurting her people.

While the sounds of clashing steel echoed ahead, Iris made her way to one of the balconies, looking for any other way out. Had she considered making an escape rope? Well, yes, but it was much too impractical. Too time-consuming and too many parties to climb down.

A loose page flitted its way down before the princess, landing on the bannister. The princess picked up the page, immediately recognizing that chicken scratch handwriting before a voice sounded above her. "And… yet another story I'll never finish…"

"Didn't expect you to be flying around this late." Iris commented, wearing an amused grin.

There was a shuffling up above, and the sound of wings belonging to a pegasus. The figure lowered herself, coming to about eye level with the princess. Messy purple hair lay over her silver armor. "You know this is when I get the most inspiration." The knight said, narrowing her crimson eyes.

"For what? You never finish your work, Em." Iris laughed, petting the nose of the white pegasus Aemilia was riding.

"I do so!" The rider snapped back. "I never abandon my work!"

Iris decided to continue poking fun at the subject, her friend was too easy to get worked up. "No, you just decide to delay everything like my brother seeing potential brides."

Aemilia fidgeted in her saddle, a blush appearing on her face. "H-how is your brother, by the way?"

Iris could have held her silence, but decided against it. "No one knows. But I'm leading a party to bring him back."

"Aren't you under house arrest though?"

_Gods, how fast does word travel around here?_ A crash sounded from within the palace halls. "Em, I need your help."

Aemilia shrugged. "Sure."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

The pegasus rider extended a hand towards her princess, allowing the girl to climb up. Iris had a pit in her stomach for doing this. She should've stayed with the others. This felt dishonorable…

"Hey Iris?" Aemilia asked while that balcony shrunk in the distance. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." The princess answered. "We agreed on a location to meet up afterward. It's…"

* * *

**A/N:**

**So in case you haven't guessed, Aemilia's a self insert character. Don't worry guys! She's not the focus of this story! It was just an idea that I went along with. Iris is still our lord, Aemilia's the middle p. knight. I can have a cameo in my own story. Grumble grumble...**

**Anywhos, the idea behind this map is for it to be an escape map. With a hidden escape ;) . I'm writing this down in the author's notes so I don't forget when it comes to working on the hack. Therein lies the key to the next chapter!**

**Hope you enjoyed, peeps! Remember to leave a review, follow, favorite. That stuff that helps the author know their work is being appreciated.**

**This is your lovely Squish, wishing you all a wonderful day!**


	9. Chapter 5x: Bandits in the Dark

**A/N:**

**Yeah, so I know we have two side chapters pretty close to each other. Shut up. At the pace I'm going, I think there will be about... 20 main chapters, so I feel a bit warranted in putting a few side chapters close to each other. Don't worry, I won't go overboard with them. Anywho, I've been playing a few of the GBA Fire Emblems on my own time and being really confused to all hell because I'd been playing so much of FE1 (which made me think inventory was smaller), and Fates (which put a ranged weapon triangle into my mind). So yeah. Anywho, enjoy. Yada yada. Word Count (1246)**

* * *

"Yes this is the right route, how do you think I managed to smuggle myself into Archanea in the first place?" Their hunter posed, crossing his arms.

Iris looked around noting the thick woods surrounding their worn path. This area was known to be patrolled by bandits. Raids happened frequently. "There are other ways…" She suggested.

Kaiser just kept leading their group deeper and deeper onwards. "I thought you wanted to get to your brother as fast as possible?"

"Yeah, but…" There was a moment of hesitation in her voice. The princess just kept looking around nervously. "I mean, we don't _know_ what's out there for us, right?" She laughed nervously at that point. "Hey, Em, you got the height advantage. Why don't you, uh, scout out for us."

The pegasus knight never asked any questions of her friend. "Of course, _milady_." Though the title was something she never addressed Iris with on their own, and was said in such a mocking manner.

Iris breathed a sigh of relief when Aemilia took off, though when she looked back at her comrades, she was met with suspicious looks. "What?"

Celeste, quite unused to seeing this side of the princess asked the thought which plagued her mind. "Why are you so nervous?"

"Ah she's just afraid of the woods at night." Rufus answered, quite proudly, earning him a quick smack to the back of his head by Algar.

"Oh, so our little princess is afraid, eh?" Kaiser taunted.

"I am not!" Iris declared with a stomp of her foot. Though it was the rustle of the branches overhead that sent noticeable shivers down her spine. "Okay, so maybe I've had a few bad camping trips with Harold in the past. But that doesn't mean I'm afraid!"

The sound of pegasus wings signaled the return of their little scout. "I've spotted some campfires not too far out from our position. I dunno how many bandits there may be, but one of them was definitely _not_ a bandit encampment."

"So who is it?" Iris asked.

"Hey, you're the leader of this party." Aemilia said, sticking her index at Iris' chest. "You make the decision."

Iris looked to Diana for guidance. The halberdier didn't give a verbal answer. She merely nodded, indicating Iris make her own decision on this. When the wind picked up again, Iris decided it was time to press on. "Well, they aren't bandits, so perhaps they could be allies. We won't know until we see." So the princess pressed forward.

Of course Aemilia was right for once in saying the camp wasn't too far ahead of their current position. Usually she was so vague, it was hard to tell. It was a man with short black hair, sitting in front of what looked like an arms tent, eating some roasted hare. He looked up, seeing the approaching party and actually waved them over. When they came close enough, the man stood up, offering a greasy hand to Iris. "Hey, good to see some honest folk out on the road for once."

Iris didn't accept the hand, but she did give a smile to the man. "Indeed." She agreed, warily eyeing him over. "What are you doing out here on your own, sir?"

"It's Jake." He said. "And I'm transporting goods for my fiancée's shop."

Diana took the moment to step into this conversation, putting herself between the man and her lady. "That is most dangerous work. And you are aware of the dangers on this road in particular, yes?"

Jake just waved the woman off. "There's danger everywhere these days. And with my girl, time is money. Might as well take the quickest route."

The woman crossed her arms, finally ceding to the man. "Interesting logic you have there."

A glint caught Iris' eyes, taking her attention away from the rest of the group. She took a few cautious steps forward, jumping back at the sound of a snapping branch. "Um… I don't think we're alone here…"

"You're just being paranoid, Iris."

_Fwip!_

An arrow landed right by the boots of their newfound friend. "Everyone, to arms!" Iris commanded, before anyone could even flinch.

Now thankfully Iris had an iron sword with her at that moment. The brigand which rushed out could have cleaved her in two, and Iris was none too fond of being patched up _again_. She countered his charge easily, moving around the man and striking at his side. She hadn't killed him right there, but he would bleed out eventually, and there were things just a little more attention worthy than mercy kills at this moment. For example: the archer who was lining up his shot at the merchant.

These woods were not easy to move through, but she had to protect that man and the rest of her party. Iris slashed her way through the brush, managing to tackle the archer to the ground just as he made his shot. The arrow whizzed by Jake's head, and he hit the ground hard in order to avoid any other things like this.

Iris, meanwhile, plunged her sword through the archer's chest, looking out for any other bandits that might be out there, but by the gods was it impossible to see through this darkness. She could hear her comrades fighting out there, but some backup of her own would sure be nice.

A light pierced this dreadful dark. Iris made her way towards the light, finding another one of these damned bandits. Of course, he saw her before she did him. The axe thrown at her was none too welcome. It actually grazed her left thigh. She'd live of course, but the initial sting was enough to take her mind off the battle for a split second. That's when an arrow managed to graze her cheek.

The beat of hooves from behind was accompanied with a flash of green, and Algar, moving into the clearing ahead, cut down this pain of an archer, leaving Iris free to deal with that brigand she had a vendetta against.

One after another, they crawled out of the darkness towards their group. For a while, it seemed like this would never end, but their leader showed his ugly face. The silver hair of an elder man, looking them down with his blinded eye. The scowl could pierce anyone's armor all by itself. "And here I thought we could make out rich today!" He growled.

Iris groaned to herself. At least they had Abner with them now. He'd been invaluable in these last few encounters. They could take that bandit. So she led the charge. Iris struck first, moving enough away for Celeste to cast one of her curses upon the man, and rounding back to take the man from behind while he was focused on the pesky knights who kept throwing javelins his way. All together. That's how they could accomplish anything.

The sun peeked out from behind the trees, and the forest was clear.

The group met back up with that man they were so eager to protect, and he was certainly thankful. "Great to have people like you to protect me. Hey, mind if I stay for a while?"

"But don't you have goods to deliver?" Iris asked.

"Well I'm sure travels will be much easier with someone like me around. Besides, traveling with you, I'm sure I'll find Anna that much sooner!"

Kaiser covered his face with his hands, seeming to cry into them.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm pretty sure most of you are aware of how Jake is one of those recurring characters in this series along with our dear RNG Goddess Anna. Sure, he doesn't make appearances as often, but he's still there in a lot of games. I was gonna put Anna in charge of the convoy, but she's already on the save screen, and secret shops. So yup, Jake's the convoy! To be fair, I barely used him when he was playable in the Marth games. He was and will forever be a subpar unit. **

**Anywho, I hope you enjoyed.**

**As always, be sure to leave a review, follow, favorite. Stuff stuff stuff.**

**This is your lovable Squishy wishing you all a wonderful day! :D**


	10. Chapter 6: Fugitives

**A/N:**

**Aha! I bet you expected to wait longer, huh? Welp, I'm doing my best with this. See, I'm really motivated for this story right now. I have my reasons. Anyways, I know I always keep the plot rolling, but we're gonna see a few more perspectives in this chapter, that might just get you a bit more interested. Now, time for some R&amp;R, ENJOY! Word Count (1450)**

* * *

The group came to rest at a fort merely a few days from the capital by foot. The guards accepted them, unknowing of their princess' home arrest. Thankfully for her, there didn't seem to be anyone giving chase… yet.

Within the palace walls, the queen herself was irate.

"I told you to keep an eye on her!"

A simple guard quivered with fear. "I… We did our best!"

Aveline let out a light growl, "Well _clearly_ your best wasn't good enough." She then sighed, adjusting her glasses before they fell off her nose. "Why did you let her through?" The implication of _her_ being for the royal guard, Diana.

"Well, she's my captain. How could I know she wasn't supposed to see the princess?"

The queen rested a hand against her forehead. Some of these men clearly were not listening when the orders were given. "Find them." She commanded. "All of them. I want word spread to every corner of the continent: Bring the princess home."

* * *

Iris watched the rain fall outside. At least it wasn't cold. These forts were always uncomfortable when the weather turned foul. On the wall before her, she could make out a familiar figure. Those robes gave everything away. "So, Celeste, you came to watch the rain too?"

The dark mage shuffled up next to the princess, briefly looking out the window before them. "Not really. Just taking a walk." She explained. "Clear my mind."

"Of what?" Iris asked, looking concerned for the young woman she considered a new friend. "Remember, you can tell me anything."

"I didn't think we'd be heading back to Khadein." She rushed to say.

"Well we can't just sit around and do nothing about my brother," Iris chuckled nervously.

Celeste bit her lip, flinching away. "I'm sorry about your brother, Iris. I am, but… I went to Pales for a reason. I… I thought I could blend in with the magic academy there, but then the attack, and…" She stopped, noting the concerned look on Iris' face. "I'm sorry, just… I'll go back to my cot."

Iris wanted to speak up to stop the girl, but she just couldn't. There was something about the way she spoke. Like the uprising in Khadein wasn't the only thing they had to worry about. As reckless as the princess was sometimes, she wasn't stupid. She knew how to read people and that's exactly what her instincts were _screaming_ at her.

"Iris." She heard Diana shout from down the passageway.

"Huh?"

The woman looked back, concerned for whomever might be following. "Our friends here aren't so _friendly_ anymore." The woman said.

"What?" Iris exclaimed in shock. "What happened?"

Diana seemed to calm down back to her usual self. "Seems word spreads fast. And your mother's ordered a nation-wide search for you."

Iris stood silent. Her mother didn't understand. Why couldn't she just let her go and get him back? "Blast."

"My lady?"

"Where are the others? We need to leave."

The woman nodded. "I'll get them right away. We'll be out of here within the hour," and she rushed off to retrieve the group.

Iris knew that was too long. They already needed to be out. _Sometimes I really hate her…_ Iris thought. Her mother did always put a damper on her plans.

The princess ran as fast as her legs could carry her, to her quarters. Picking up the swords she could find stored within. Even _borrowing_ what was not already in her possession. Hey, this was an emergency. On her way towards her team's quarters, a wall had obscured her path. No, not a wall, but a knight.

The man looked upon the girl with his deep brown eyes. Dark hair, going grey, covered his face in a bushy beard, though his head itself was shaven. _"Not that way."_ The man whispered in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Huh?" Iris was quite confused at the situation before her. This man clearly had no intention of capturing her.

"The other guards." He said. "They are looking for you, little one."

Iris carefully removed a heavy gauntlet from her shoulder, brushing off the blue armor. "I… already know that."

"That way is not safe." He mentioned once more. "I can take you to your friends a safe way."

The princess was still a little confused, but she trusted this man. She gave a nod, agreeing to follow along.

True to his word, the strange knight showed Iris an alternative path to her friends, and lucky for them, there was no opposition on the way. However, Diana gave a scowl when she noticed the stranger approach.

"Who might this be?" She asked, pointing a spear towards the man.

"Drogo." He replied. "I'm one of the summer guards here. Been doing it since I first picked up the lance." He looked over the group, studying their reactions to his words. "I don't understand how the little one has earned the queen's wrath, and I don't agree with forcing people to do things they don't want. So I'd like to help. If you'll accept?"

Iris was grinning ear to ear, ignoring the way Diana shook her head. "We'd love to have you, Drogo."

Diana sighed. That princess could pick up the most mangled stray dog and get others to agree to let her keep it.

"Thank you very much, little one." The knight said. "But there's one other thing. My nephew is also stationed here, and his mother would be upset if I left him alone. Let me talk to him."

"Very well, Sir… Drogo." Diana said with a wave of her hand. "But know I'll be keeping an eye on you." And keep close, she did. Not giving the poor man much space as they tried to make their way out of the fort.

Of course, many of the guards were quite conflicted about fighting their own princess. Sure, they had orders to send her back to the capital, but what if they seriously hurt her? It wasn't a chance many of them were willing to take, so most of them stayed on their normal patrol routes, only ever attacking if they were threatened.

Keeping the chaos to a minimum, Drogo was able to find his nephew. The lad held his lance tight as his eyes rapidly searched his surroundings. "Merit!" Drogo shouted from practically next to the boy, ruffling the short hair which matched his teal eyes.

"Uncle, I'm right here. Why are you yelling?" Merit complained, trying to rub away the ringing in his ears.

"Kid," Drogo started.

"I'm in my twenties…"

"I'm saving myself from your mother's wrath. So come along."

Now Merit would have objected, but when his eyes settled on the women fending off guards from behind, he lost his train of thought. "Wait, with them?"

It was then that Drogo laughed, slapping one of his heavy gauntlets against the back of his nephew's silver armor. "See something you like?"

"What? No. I'll go, Uncle… _Didn't even say please…_" The soldier grumbled, following the knight onto the field.

When the last of them made it to safety, Iris looked back, unable to speak. She sighed, turning to face her comrades. "So that's it then…" The princess scanned over the others, every one of them as exhausted as the next. "Home is no longer a haven."

"Princess, we must move on if you wish to continue your quest." Diana spoke.

"Right." Iris agreed. "Well, everyone. Get used to the ground, those might be our last beds for quite some time. So let's hurry. Can't have Mother dragging me back to the capital now." She chuckled with her last statement.

* * *

A grim man looked out from his balcony to the desert stretching endlessly before him. His crimson cape, matching his slicked back hair, caught the wind as his ebon gauntlets folded to fists. "I still have trouble keeping trust in you." He said, charcoal eyes, turning back to the twisted ones behind.

"Oh, Abram, of course I'll keep my end of the bargain." The hooded figure spoke, earning a grin from the sorcerer by his side. "That is, as long as you keep providing your dracoknights to our cause."

The Macedonian king grunted, much to the amusement of the others.

The sorcerer, garbed in robes of purple and black, advanced on the veteran dragon lord. He brushed a hand through his greasy, black hair, pointing a finger at the man's chest. "My mages continue to do their jobs, and what have your forces done? Sit around in the rear, too afraid to spill a little blood? Now if I was their-"

"Peace, Aled." Their superior spoke. "He will do just as commanded."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Aha! (I keep saying that a lot, don't I...) **

**We finally get some names to our baddies. And an armor knight and soldier. Ay! Diana can't be the only soldier class in the group (yes, I know she's a halberdier, but that's the promotion of the soldier, so :P ). I mean, every Jeigan gets a replacement eventually, though most of them are horseback units so that's like... the first chapter, but hey. I have my own pacing to the story, I know what's going down in all of them. Not really. But I do have the plot skeleton, so don't worry.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Be sure to leave a review/follow/favorite. Gimme da support! C B A, with all of you!**

**Have a delightful morning/day/evening, from your lovely Squish :D**


	11. Chapter 7: The Wolfpack

**A/N:**

***Streeeetch* Sup, guys. Howzit been? So sorry for the delay, but I got sucked into some other fandoms temporarily, and I'm not very good at multitasking, even with all my various projects.**

**In other news, Shadow Dragon is finally available on the NA eShop, which was the last Fire Emblem game I had yet to play. Kinda weird that I'd played, FE1, 3, and 12, but not 11. Hmm...**

**Anywhos, I'm exactly where I wanted to be in this story and it's REALLY surprising. Like jeez, it feels weird, and I allow myself a lot of leeway from the plot skeletons usually. So then. Hope you enjoy. Read, relax, put some music on. ENJOY! Word Count (1,847)**

* * *

With the search for the runaway princess, a journey through the mainland was out of the question. A new plan of approach was considered. Travel by sea. Of course this meant skirting the Archanean coast, but the risks of travel by foot were far too great. Thus the intrepid group found themselves in a port town. Dirty and rotten to the core, nary a plate of armor to be seen. The perfect place to evade the law.

A few members of the group had headed into an inn, finding someone who would take them out west, for a price. Diana finished handing off gold to the fighter before them.

"I hope that settles it?" The Iris then asked.

The man weighed the purse placed in his posession. His golden eyes looked down intently as he scratched his broad chin. "Yes, we'll get ya 'cross the sea." He said, tucking the purse away within his thick leather armor. "Not often these days I'm smugglin' folks out west. 'S usually the other way around." The man added with special attention to a certain dark mage.

"Yes well…" Iris trailed off. "I guess you could say we're under some unique circumstances."

"In my line o' work, you learn not to question things." Some sort of ruckus could be heard outside the inn which the fighter waved off.

"What of that partner you told us about?" The princess inquired, ignoring his comment of questions.

The man stretched back, bringing his tanned arms over his jade mohawk. "He's on the ship, bein' responsible an' all that."

"Well then… Dacre, you said?" Iris started, earning an affirmative nod in return. "I'd like to thank you in advance. This truly means a lot to my companions and myself." The princess got up from her seat, she was the last to do so. She headed to the door, trailed by this fighter by the name of Dacre. Most of her comrades were waiting just outside, avoiding the awkward situation of them all shuffled into that inn at once.

This port town they had been led to by Kaiser was quite busy, as they'd found. Most of the group was worried about running into solders on the way, but so many mercenaries and bandits patrolled this town that nothing the nobles who originally ruled this land could say or do would apply. Out here, strength was the law. As they ventured further into town, the scuffle they had heard outside was only that. Two men, who had nothing to lose tumbled through the sludge of these streets as their drunken brawl continued.

The group was given a variety of odd looks. In this sort of town, soldiers and nobles armed to the teeth were the suspicious ones.

"I'd most certainly feel safer if we made it to the ship before someone ends up robbing us." Celeste muttered as her pace quickened.

Iris let out a nervous titter, "What are you talking about? Hehe… We fit in just fine."

"You can't certainly mean that?"

"Sarcasm, Celeste. Sarcasm."

"Hey, you!" A voice called from around an alleyway.

"Just keep moving." Whispered Dacre, guiding the princess forward with one of his massive paws.

The voice called again. "You! What're a bunch of highborns doing out all this way?" The face of the mysterious voice finally revealed themselves. Stepping out of the shadows was a woman. While her once bright hair was nearly gray with age, matching the wolf pelt hood over her shoulders, her cyan eyes felt as if they could pierce the thickest armor. She wore the garb of a hero and nearly everything was black. Her balance was shifted to her back foot, light boots she wore, tapping impatiently with the one to her front.

Iris came to a stop, despite the urges of all the others.

"Just helpin' some customers, Ylva." Dacre spoke up before the princess could open her big mouth. "So, if ya wouldn't mind excusin' us?"

"I wasn't asking you." The woman's hand shifted to a steel sword by her side, her tone matching the heavy alloy. "What – are you doing – in this town?"

Iris forced a smile, turning around to face this woman impeding their progress. "Just passing through." She explained, making her best attempt to keep an even tone.

The woman crossed her arms, hiding a smirk behind her hand when she saw a glare flash her way. "Well I certainly haven't heard that excuse before. You should have ignored them, Dacre."

"Well f'give me for carin' about current events, lass." The fighter retorted. "Maybe you an' your thugs should head back to the roads if ya want someone to rob. This town ain't exactly profitable for your type. Now I'd 'preciate it if ya leave my clients alone here."

The older woman scoffed, casting her gaze down to the ground, looking _almost_ defeated. "Well you can't say I never warned you." Ylva pulled a whistle from her belt. That was it. Hostiles poured in from every alley this way to the docks.

"Damn, damn, damn…" Dacre muttered under his breath. This time, it was one of Iris' comrades to take his hand and drag him away.

"Everyone to arms! We _**must **_reach the docks!" The princess called, rallying her comrades as her feet carried her down the street. "_We can't head back through the mainland…"_

Watching them run off like cowards, Ylva chuckled, inhaling sharply as she withdrew her blade. "Run, run, run, little sheep. You cannot escape the Wolf."

A younger member, bearing a strong resemblance to the older woman, ran up to his leader. "Isn't that the princess those knights on the road were talking about?"

"Aye."

"Any special orders you wanna pass along to the Pack?" The youth asked.

"_Convoy will help our supplies_," She silently mused, turning back to the boy when her thoughts were finally in order. "Tell them they can do what they will with the others so long as the princess remains unharmed. I'm sure we'll receive quite the reward for bringing _a little _bird to its nest."

The boy nodded and ran off.

As their group fought their way out of this town, Iris had come to realize that this was more than just a petty group of thugs. They were organized and probably set up ambushes like these on countless occasions. Neither did they fight like novices. Each of them had training, knowing exactly what to do with their weapons; all the while targeting down Jake's convoy and Iris herself before anyone else in the group.

"So, you two know each other?" Iris asked her newest recruit, sidestepping as a hand axe flew past.

"Ylva?" Dacre recalled, knocking a young archer over someone's fish stand. "Oh, too well. S'pose I could tell ya 'bout her when we… make it to the ship." He grunted, nearly taking off the head of a poor myrmidon.

"Yeah… I suppose the battlefield is hardly the place for idle chatter…" The young princess nodded, considering their current situation.

Street by street, their flight was heard earned. Every step of the way, a struggle. These mercenaries, bandits, whatever they were, had them in a vice. Of course, things were going smoother with Dacre in the company. Swordreaver in hand, he became a one man army.

Only thing to stop his advance was the sight of a young brunet among their enemy. Someone far too young to be leading this sort of life. Dacre approached the youth as best he could. "Conan!" He called out, grabbing the lad's sword arm as he whirled to face him.

The boy looked shocked, staring up at the muscular man with his cyan eyes. Mid-teens, hair disheveled, and a scar over the bridge of his nose, he was mostly clad in red, wearing the attire of a typical mercenary. His only difference being the pelt of a wolf pup strapped over his left shoulder. "I heard the rumors, but what are you doing here?"

"I'm doing what I was paid for." The fighter stated. "Does your mum know you're out here?"

The teen sighed. "She trusts my choices."

Dacre pinched the bridge of his nose. How much he wanted to smack this kid upside the head. "I thought you were smart enough t' know which targets were worth the trouble…"

"But this _is_ worth all the trouble."

The fighter puffed out his cheeks as he held in the urge to chew this kid out. "Listen, Conan – Either you come with us on your own, or I carry you out."

"What?"

"Kicking and screaming if I hafta."

"Why would you…" The brunet paused, taking just a moment to survey his surroundings. His old friend was right. They'd robbed and kidnapped nobles before, but none had put up this much of a fight. And things were only devolving further for their band. "I know you would…" He sighed, defeat admitted. "Egh… fine."

The large man guffawed, picking his axe up already set for the next target. "That a boy! 'M sure the Princess'll be eager t' have ya."

Conan couldn't help but let out one last groan before following along.

The rest of the fight saw the boy hesitating. Many of these men and women were like family to him. Iris herself never looked kindly upon the teen either. She'd picked up many strange folks in the past, eager to follow her. None of them had been ready to take her head off just a moment before though.

As the group reached the docks and boarded their exit, everyone could breathe easy when they passed out of range of the last arrow.

"So, could you finally tell us what that was about?" Iris asked their host.

"They call themselves the Wolfpack. Mercenaries that'll run with anyone if boss thinks it's profitable. An' that lass we met earlier, Ylva, well she's the boss." The fighter finally explained. "Brother an' I used t' run with 'em back in the day."

"So why did you leave?" Diana broke into the conversation.

"Wolfpack's nice 'n all, tight knit. But runnin' around with a group like them got t' be more trouble than it's worth. And Ylva…" He added with a whistle. "What a piece o' work."

Iris hummed, already agreeing after what she saw. "She did seem rather… abrasive."

"'S what the northern territ'ries do t' ya, lass. Be glad ya'll never hafta live that sorta life."

One of the hatches from below deck opened. A pirate carrying a sack of grain over his shoulder emerged.

"Dale! Bout time ya joined us!"

Quite different from his own brother, golden goatee and clean-shaven head covered by a bandanna, his jade eyes looked at them with worry. He gave a nod, retreating back below deck before too much attention could be called to himself.

Iris saw his reaction to all these new faces, almost feeling pity for the man. She turned her attention to the, younger brother, who looked out to the open sea before them, unable to help thinking of her own. _"It's alright, Harold. I'll bring you home."_

* * *

**A/N:**

**I know some of you want to see more of the other characters we've picked up! I'm going to be making a side story along with this one that'll have all the conditional dialogue and supports after I've finished with the main story. I'm only showing one perspective for the recruitment, but even with these characters picking the others up, Iris still would have her own dialogue with them, and that's also something to keep in mind.**

**I repeat!**

**This is just the main story and only the CANON (When I say canon, I mean canon to this fic. Do fics have their own canon?) route. All other things like alternate chapter endings/dialogues/supports are going to be in a side story later.**

**Alright then.**

**Behind The Name is a blessing of a website and a godsend, I could marry it for all the names it's provided me for this fic, highly recommend to all writers out there.**

**As always, hope you enjoyed! Leave a review/follow/favorite. Tell an author how she's doing.**

**This is your lovely Squish, wishing you all a pleasant day! :D**


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